<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT"%> Culex (Culex) Pervigilans complex
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Culex (Culex) Pervigilans species complex

 

Endemic

New Zealand Status: Endemic

The Culex Pervigilans complex consists of three endemic species that have no current biosecurity threat status. All are native to New Zealand and are found nowhere else.

  • Culex (Culex) asteliae  Belkin, 1968
  • Culex (Culex) pervigilans  Bergroth, 1889
  • Culex (Culex) rotoruae  Belkin, 1968

Start the Pervigilans sub-key»

Vector and Disease Information

Culex pervigilans is a natural vector of Whataroa virus of birds, while the vector status of the other two species is unknown (Holder 1999).

Distribution

Culex (Culex) asteliae  Belkin, 1968

NZ Distribution Map

Australasian Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC.
New Zealand - Kaitaia, Whangarei (Laird 1990), Auckland, Waitakere, Titirangi, Rangitoto Island, Little Barrier Island, Coromandel (Belkin 1968).

Rest of the World
NOT PRESENT.

Culex (Culex) pervigilans  Bergroth, 1889
Common domestic mosquito

NZ Distribution Map

Australasian Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC.
New Zealand - All of New Zealand including Stewart Island, Auckland Island, Adams Island, Chatham Islands, Three Kings Island, and Raoul Island (Belkin 1968).

Rest of the World
NOT PRESENT.

Culex (Culex) rotoruae  Belkin, 1968

NZ Distribution Map

Australasian Biogeographic Region
PRESENT; ENDEMIC.
New Zealand - Ngawha (Dumbleton 1969), Waiwera Stream (Laird 1995), Rotorua (Belkin 1968).

Rest of the World
NOT PRESENT.

Taxonomic position

The Culex Pervigilans complex is placed in Group pipiens, and subgroup pipiens of the subgenus Culex, as is the Pipiens complex.  Separation of the 3 species of the Culex Pervigilans complex as adults is difficult and the characters used are not entirely reliable (Belkin 1968). A subkey to the three species of the complex is included should you wish to try to identify specimens further. Start the Pervigilans sub-key»

Diagnosis

A diagnosis is the minimum set of characters and states that will separate this taxon from all others in this set of taxa.

 

Diagnostic characters State
Pulvilli Present [often difficult to see]
Pale scales of proboscis Widespread or in a patch, not forming a band
Colour of mesonotum and mesonotal scales ... dark brown with pale scales strongly contrasting, or bronzy scales not strongly contrasting

 

Characteristic Features

Thorax: integument dark brown, either with contrasting pale scales or bronzy scales not strongly contrasting. Legs: pulvilli present (Belkin 1968).